


Sisters Bound For Life

by NotoriousReign



Category: Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:02:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720015
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NotoriousReign/pseuds/NotoriousReign
Summary: Tori visits Maya in the hospital after Maya's suicide attempt.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Sisters Bound For Life

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning for mentions of a suicide attempt. I missed Tori and really wanted to write this.

* * *

Katie sat by Maya’s bed, listening to the machines flicker alongside the sound of her own heart beating. She had cried herself out completely and let their mom rest up back at home. But she refused to leave Maya’s side.

How could something like this happen? They thought she was doing so well, she’d just been laughing and joking with them the night before. It was all so confusing and terrifying, but Katie knew one thing was for sure: she was always going to be there for her little sister.

A soft knock at the door made her look up and for the first time that night she was surprised to see who had arrived.

Tori Santamaria.

She looked like she’d been crying too. And it didn’t stop a fresh onslaught of tears from erupting on the younger girl's pretty face once she saw Maya’s sleeping figure.

“Tori...”

“I should’ve been here.”

Katie stood and hugged her close. Tori sagged against her, crying into Katie’s shoulder and Katie rubbed her back.

“It’s okay, she’ll be okay.”

“What happened?”

Tori lifted her head, face tear-streaked, and Katie told her the whole story. It felt like a knife pierced her chest all over again, a constant pain, as she recounted it to someone for the first time. A few of Maya’s classmates and friends had found her overdosed on the roof of Degrassi’s building. A mixture of drugs from their mom’s multiple sclerosis medications as well as sleeping pills and Katie’s anti-anxiety medication, were found in Maya’s system, but Esme and Zig had thankfully gotten her to the hospital in time. Doctors said she would be okay, but they were still waiting for her to wake up.

None of them had known she was this depressed. They kept thinking she was getting better.

“I feel like I should’ve known.” Katie sniffed, her voice shaky. It took so much out of her having to explain it.

“Nobody knew.” Tori shook her head.

She couldn’t stop staring at Maya breathing softly near them.

“I’m glad Zig called to tell me.”

“Well, I’m glad you’re here. I know Maya will be too when she wakes.”

“Can I stay here with you? I hope I’m not imposing.” Tori sniffed.

Katie rubbed her back again then pulled up another chair.

“No no, I could use the company.”

They ate some snacks together and fell into an awkward silence just sitting and waiting, crying a little here and there too. The hospital food became a lump in Katie’s stomach and she figured the same could be said about Tori.

She tried to ask what Tori was up to, even though she wasn’t really that curious. Anything to distract from what was right in front of them. To Tori’s credit, she didn’t look very eager to talk about herself.

“I’ve been doing some modelling, but nothing big. Now I know why Maya stopped sending me texts and talking to me on twitter.” She sighed, a heavy and anguished sound.

Tori closed her eyes. Katie didn’t know what to say.

“Katie? Is that you?”

It was a soft croak, but distinguishable and the greatest sound they could possibly hear. Both Katie and Tori whipped their heads up and watched as Maya’s eyes fluttered open. She watched them both worriedly. Exhausted.

Katie stood, taking Maya’s clammy hand.

“I’m right here. Oh God Maya, you had me so _worried_.” She sniffed, tried not to sound angry. She wasn’t mad, honest, she was just petrified.

“W-what happened?”

“Zig and Esme found you on Degrassi’s roof. Y-you weren’t moving. The doctors had to pump your stomach.”

Maya closed her eyes, scrunched her face in remembrance.

“Oh God… I-I’m so sorry.”

“I’m gonna call mom, okay? Try and stay awake as long as you can.” Katie quickly turned to Tori. “Can you--”

“Of course, go.” Tori stood next to Maya’s other side and took her free hand. It really was so clammy and she couldn’t tell who was trembling more.

Katie left quickly, pulling out her cell and talking at a rapid speed. Tori busied herself with moving the long strands of blonde hair off of Maya’s sweating forehead. She turned and stared at a small bowl on the table next to them, filled with melting ice cubes.

“Here, have some water.”

She helped lift Maya’s head, her other hand holding the ice close to her mouth. Maya took it greedily, not meeting her gaze. When she was lying down once more, Tori suddenly wished she was still looking away. Those sleepy blue eyes were staring so openly. As if time had never passed between them.

“I can’t believe you’re here, Tor.” She spoke so softly, so sadly. It worsened the sharp feel of a knife at Tori’s heart. “I thought you might’ve forgotten about me.”

“I thought you forgot about _me_.” Tori’s voice cracked. Hopefully she didn’t sound accusatory. The last thing she wanted to do was fight. “Even w-when Tris got hurt, h-his family still called me. I should’ve visited more.”

She crumbled and slumped back into her seat, the tears blurring her vision. A hand reached out, tangled itself in her curls.

“Please don’t cry.” Maya’s voice cut through Tori’s haze and she looked up blearily at her. She quickly took the extended hand and held it close. They locked gazes for a minute, that old electric friendship passing between them again. “I was scared. None of this is anybody’s fault but mine.”

“No, Maya.” Tori wiped her eyes furiously, a fire igniting within her. “No. After everything with Cam, _someone_ should’ve been able to tell something was happening.”

She remembered the pictures Maya had posted on Hastygram. They still followed each other there but hadn’t been sending very many messages, if any. The pictures were morbid. All about death. A cry for help, all relating to the bus crash. Tori should’ve reached out, asked if everything was okay. But then, there were others that were closer to Maya who should’ve done something too.

She didn’t want Maya to think anything bad about herself ever again.

“I-I want you to come over to my place one day. When you start feeling better. Okay?” Tori sniffed. “We should um… I don’t know, come up with something. Visit each other once a week. I never wanna lose touch with you again. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“We have to promise each other. Even if you’re busy I’ll always, _always_ , make sure to ask how you’re doing. I’m sorry I forgot.”

Maya smiled. “I’m sorry I forgot too.”

Katie walked back into the room then and didn’t even acknowledge the handholding or Tori’s position in her seat. She leaned towards Maya’s other side and brushed nonexistent hair off her cheek, as tender as ever.

“Mom and dad are on their way. Do you need anything?”

“Just don’t leave me.”

“Of course baby girl.” Katie sniffed and looked up hopefully at Tori. “You’re staying too right?”

“I wouldn’t dream of leaving.”

The three girls sat there together and caught up on lost memories, reminisced about old ones. All three wanted to be anywhere but in that hospital room, yet Tori and Katie refused to move. Promises were made and promises would be kept.

Both Tori and Katie couldn’t wait until they met up afterwards. Nothing like this would happen under their watch, never again. They were sisters, bound for life.

And this was more for them than it was just for Maya.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed that. Reading it over, I teared up a little. Stay safe my loves.


End file.
